Show window display case



P 1941 v o. w. GANNAWAY 2,255,702

SHOW WINDOW DISPLAY CASE Filed Jan. 5, 1939 INVENTOR 0. l4. GA/V/VAIVA) H 41' f %M WM A TTORNEY Patented Sept. 9, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SHOW WINDOW DISPLAY CASE Qliver W. Gannaway, Chattanooga, Tenn. Application January 3, 1939, Serial No. 249,141

1 Claim.

My invention relates to display cases and more particularly to those for displaying fruits, vegetables and the like in the show windows of a grocery store.

In the prior art of displaying fruits and Vegetables, in the show windows of grocery stores, it has been the practice to use a case or a cabinet extending the full length of the Window and divided transversely into a series of compartments fixed relative to each other. Cases illustrative of the style, although used for a different purpose, may be found in such patents as Brawner, 1,594,995; S'orensen, 1,211,774. Each time a sale is made the whole case must be moved in from the window in order that the clerk may avail himself of the desired pieces to be removed. This is only accomplished by moving and two men are generally required for this purpose. This results in a waste of time and energy, and often breakage and injury to the case. Nor is it possible to remove a compartment of the caseand clean it. This may only be accomplished by emptying all of the compartments of the case, removing it and cleaning it out of the store or at some other point. At best, it is very difiicult to clean them with their solid, immovable bottoms. In most sectional compartment display cases, the gradual removal of the contents destroys the display effect since no means is provided for separating the display compartment from the vending compartment.

Applicant with a knowledge of all of these defects in and objections to the prior art has for an object of his invention the provision of a series of display cases which may be associated one with the other in side by side relation in a window, and which are movable, one with respect to the other, to facilitate the ready access thereto by the clerk for the purpose of assorting or removing the contents thereof to fill the customers orders, and to facilitate their removal for the purpose of cleaning or replacing without disturbing the remaining cases.

Applicant has as another object of his invention the provision of a display case for show windows including a body divided into a display compartment with a front glass and an inclined rear wall for urging its contents towards the glass, and a vending compartment with an inclined bottom to urge the contents of such compartment towards the rear and facilitate its removal by the clerk thus ordinarily rendering it unnecessary to remove the case in order to obtain ready access to its contents.

Applicant has as another object of his invention the provision of a display case having a vending compartment with a removable bottom to facilitate cleaning or repairing.

Applicant has as another object of his invention the provisionof a case with a vending compartment having a latticed bottom for the passage of dirt or trash therethrough and for only supporting vegetables or the other desired contents.

Applicant has as another object of his invention the provision of a display case having a front display compartment With a removable display glass in order that same may be emptied or cleaned without causing injury to such glass, and to easily replace same when it is damaged.

Other objects and advantages ofmy invention will appear from the following specification and the accompanying drawing and the novel features thereof will be particularly pointed out in the annexed claim.

In the drawing, Figure 1 is a plan view of my improved display case. Figure'2 is a side elevation in section of the same case. Figure 3 is an end view of the latticed bottom for said case. Figure 4 shows a series of such cases positioned in side by side relation for the display of different vegetables or fruits. Figure 5 is a plan view of the removable bottom of said case. Figure 6 is a side view of the same bottom.

Referring to the drawings in detail, I, I, I', show a series of my improved cases positioned to display their contents in an appropriate window or other place. These cases are comprised of sides l-l, rear end wall 2, an intermediate end wall 3, dividing said case into a front display compartment and a rear vending compartment, and a front glass l2 for the display compartment. Joined to the side walls l| and intermediate end wall 3 is a bottom It! for engagement with and support of glass [2. The display compartment bottom It] is preferably rigidly secured to the side walls and intermediate end wall 3, since it is generally unnecessary to remove same as it does not require as much cleansing and as much attention as the bottom 4 of the vending compartment, due to the fact that the contents thereof are n'ot'removed or displaced or injured as often as is the case in the vending compartment. Extending along the outer top and front edges of the sides l- I rear end wall 2 and display compartment bottom 10 is a metallic molding II. This molding is secured to its edges by means of nails, [3, or other appropriate means. This molding is not only sanitary but serves as an attractive finish or ornament for the case which is preferably of Wood;

Mounted on the rear face of the intermediate wall 3 and extending transversely along the same in'spaced relation to each other are a pair of strips l5-l1 joined to the'intermediate end wall by nails or other appropriate securing means lB--l8. 'These strips serve to receive and support the'upper end of the lattice bottom '4, whose lower end abuts against and rests upon the lower edge or end of the,- rear end wall 2, which rear end wall is secured; through appropriate fastening means such as nails l4to the side walls I.

The bottom 4 of the vending compartment, as

already indicated, comprises a plurality of spaced:

longitudinal members 5-5 joined to and rigidly separated from each other by means of a plurality of securing means 9 which may be nailed or any" other appropriate securing means which pass through the respective longitudinal members 5 and :then transverse, members 6. Mounted on the central longitudinal member 5 and rotatable from the case.

In its use, a series of these cases as indicated in Figure 4 are positioned in side by siderelation in a display window of a store so that their, front ends or display compartments are clearly Visible from the window and their glasses I 2 being re,-

cessed' from the front are protected from, contact with the display window of the store Vegetables, fruits or other appropriate stockmay be urged against the front glass l2 fordisplay to the greatest advantage. The remainder of the vegetables or fruits are packed in the rear or vending compartment and due to the slant of the bottom 4 are always fed towards the rear end wall 2 where they may be easily assorted or removed by the clerk without disturbing the contents in the front display compartment, but pro- 7 viding ready and easy access for removal of contents to supply the customer- The lattice bottom 4 being comprised of spaced portions permit small amountsof dirt or other trash carried by fresh vegetables to fall down between them and be removed. If the bottom 4 becomes dirty or injured, it is only necessary to rotate the cross arm or toggle 1 to disengage its ends, from the recesses l9l9 to permit the ready removal of such bottom therefrom so that it may be carefully cleansed and dried without disturbing the remaining part of the case. To

- cleanse the front compartment, it is only necesinserted in the front compartment andv due to r the slant of the; intermediate" end wall}; will be sary to slide the front glass. l2 upwardly and to remove its contents. It will be noted that the case may be slid forward or rearwardly by -a really small force, without straining the clerk and without disturbing the other cases and in this way, the case may be removed from the show windows orthe contents may be changed without disturbing the other cases.

Having thus described my invention, claim:

A display case of the character described com-' prising sides and ends defining a chamber, a

partition element disposed therein and extending upwardly and rearward-1y dividing saidv chamber into front'and rear compartments; strips mounted on the rear face of. said partition, and a bottom for said rear compartment having ends engage able with said strips: to interlock and support them, and means engageable in recesses in. the

sides for removably securing said bottom inposition. 7

- OLIVER W. GANNAWAY; 

